The Liberating Pulpit

by Justo L. González

Catherine and Justo Gonzalez provide a valuable resource for preaching and biblical interpretation. An account of liberation theology's impact on the task of preaching is offered by two historians of doctrine who are intimately aware of the need to be open to marginalized perspectives in the church. Early Christian preachers had much to say on issues such as the origins and proper use of wealth, the rights and duties of the poor and rich, and the nature of ownership. The Gonzalezes recapture this early Christian spirit offering concrete ways that the interpretation of specific biblical texts may be enriched or corrected in order to speak directly to the whole life of the whole church. Often used as a text in preaching courses, 'The Liberating Pulpit' helps to clarify and to bridge the gap between those whose preaching and hermeneutics tend to be more traditional and the various minorities who tend to read Scripture in a different way.

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and other major works, attended United Seminary in Cuba, received his MA at Yale, and was the youngest person to be awarded a PhD in historical theology at Yale. He is one of the few first generation Latino theologians to come from a Protestant background. He helped to found the Association for Hispanic Theological Education and the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Dr González is now on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Reviews

[CJ Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

At turns maddening and wonderful. If you've read a dozen preaching books that are all kinda the same, this may be worthwhile if you are able to spit out the gristle and enjoy the meat.

[Anthony Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best preaching book I’ve read. Chapter 3 and 4 on the Neglected Interpreters and Some Pointers on Biblical Interpretation were the best part of the book for me. Wrestling with questions of how we think about power and $$ within the church, it was a fantastic read.

Chapter 4 gave a few helpful tips on biblical interpretation- this chapter is one I’ll need to return to: Read the Political Situation (of the congregation/audience), Include the Wider Context (esp of those not in the room), Consider the Politics of the Text, Reassign the Cast of Characters (e.g. we might not be the main character in the passage), Imagine a Different Setting (imagine it studied/read in different circumstances), Consider the Direction of the Action (how we lay claim to the relevance of the text for us today), Avoid Avoidance (w/ challenging texts).

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gonzalez team applies liberation theology to homiletics, basically, and they do a fine job of it. They fall into the trap that any method does, which is to say they acknowledge that they have a bias but then operate as though it's fine because at least it's the right bias. Once you firmly remember that and read this in conjunction with other ways to preach sermons, this is a great resource for reminding those who preach to be aware of how so many Scriptural texts have been used to keep the "least of these" in that least position. Very good resource, but again, remember to use it in conjunction with other resources.